rCiCITIC Union Loi reyt; SEC ° 7 70 SEPTEMBER 1970 le2wal° HEALTH T HE expression "athlete's foot" refers to a fungous infection of the feet. Funguses are � plant-like organisms. They are moulds seen on bread, cheese, and other food. Funguses, widely rep- resented in nature, can be an economic problem in agriculture and industry. Fortunately, there are not a great number of moulds and yeasts that afflict man. Some funguses do infect man both on the outside and the inside of the body. The term "athlete's foot" is somewhat mislead- ing in that it implies that the disease affects only ath- letes. If it did we would have a tremendous number of athletes. It is more accurate to call the condition ringworm of the foot or use the medical term Tinea pedis. Tinea pedis makes its appearance most often in teen-age and young adulthood. It is not common in children. The exact incidence will vary in different parts of the world. The two most common species of funguses that cause Tinea pedis are Trichophyton rubrum and Tri- chophyton mentagrophytes. The latter organism pro- duces an infection not difficult to control; the former organism produces an infection difficult to control. It is important for the doctor treating an athlete's foot patient to know which organism he is dealing with. T. mentagrophytes produces the typical case of athlete's foot, with softening of the flesh, cracking of the skin between the toes, and blistering of the sole of the foot and of the toes. When the blisters break, a raw oozing surface results. The area may become infected. The process may become acute or chronic. In severe cases the patient may be required to stay off his feet. In mild cases the infection is slight, producing little inconvenience to the patient. Infection caused by T. Rubrum is resistant to treatment. The skin of the foot becomes thickened and scaly, occasionally affected by small blisters. The infection may involve one or both feet, and as time goes on it is common for a toe-nail or two to become infected. Sources of the Disease Where does a person get Tinea pedis? There are two main sources of the disease—man and animal.. Many people may never discover the source of their foot disease or its beginning at some unusual place. People usually do not become infected from other people or animals but rather from objects that both man and animals contaminate. Rodents may contam- inate feed bins, grain, and straw. Occasionally do- mestic animals are the source, but this cause is not common for the two organisms mentioned. People may contaminate bathrooms and swimming pools. It may be said that funguses are all around us, just as bacteria are always with us. We can go even To page 33 ATHLETE'S FOOT by Edwin T. Wright, M.D. clvetres In his lifetime, the average man walks 130,000 miles, almost six times around the earth. * Versatile volcanic lava has been used to make synthetic fabrics, in- sulating fibre, and souvenir jewel- lery and trinkets. Birds need great amounts of food. After one meal a flicker's stomach was found to contain 5,040 ants. A bobwhite's held 10,000 pigweed seeds. * One cubic foot of uranium has the same energy content as 1.7 million tons of coal, 7.2 million barrels of oils, or 23 billion cubic feet of natural gas. * Eighteen months after the in- troduction of the Breath-analyzer law in Britain, the government reported that casualties caused by road accidents dropped ten per cent even though road traffic in- creased three per cent over the same period. Road deaths de- creased by fifteen per cent. Drink- ing and driving convictions rose seven per cent. * Like other large European cities, Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium, are now using television to control traffic. In Brussels two movable cameras set up on the Place de la Bourse photograph all roads lead- ing into the Place. Pictures are transmitted to the central police station and enable police to inter- vene quickly if a traffic jam seems imminent. In Antwerp, the method of controlling traffic by television is to be integrated in the system of traffic lights; it will be extended to all roads that carry a large volume of traffic. PICTURE CREDITS Cover: Colour transparency by A. K. Srivathsan. 2—Life and Health; 5, 9, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 25. 30, 36-3. S. Moses; 11—Listen; 28— G. C. Thomas. HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 j 1J1(1 cot) �(5-- SSt-( � .(7fP-yr\; SS ;AI 461 HEALTH Vol. 47, No. 9 � September 1970 Editor � JOHN M. FOWLER, M.A., M.S. MEDICAL CONSULTANTS I. R. Bazliel, Ex-Maj., I.M.S. S. J. Yawalkar, M.B.B.S., D.V.D., M.D. C. A. Ninan, M.B., F.R.C.S., Ed. �Elizabeth J. Hiscox, M.D. K. A. Paulsen, M.B.B.S., M.R.C.P., D.C.H. � R. M. Meher-Homji, B.D.S. ARTICLES Athlete's Foot � Edwin T. Wright, M.D. Surgery and Your Nose . . Lloyd K. Rosenvold, M.D., F.A.C.S. 2 5 Do You Want Your Son to Smoke? � Dr. L. H. Turner 6 Noise, the Invisible Enemy � A Striganov 8 You Busy Body, You � Irwin Ross, Ph.D. 11 Take Care of Your Shoes � Louise Price Bell 12 Why Blood Is Thicker Than Water � Clifford R. Anderson, M.D. 14 How About Tea? � Ronald W. Spalding, M.D. 17 What is Cancer? � Dr. C. E. Nelson 18 The Spleen: Your Body's Graveyard � Jack Eicholz 22 Urinary Stones � Dr. R. W. Barnes 24 Vitamin D � James A Tobey, Dr. P.H. 26 Geriatric Medicine � J DeWitt Fox, M.D. 28 Alcohol Rub � Mary Catherine Noble, R.N., R.P.T. 30 Did You Ever Keep School? � D. A. Delafield 36 FEATURES Clippings and Comments .. � 3 � Editorial � 4 Your Radio Doctor � 14 � The Doctor Advises � 32 A Page for Little People .... � 34 � Medicine Today � 35 CATION issued monthly by the ORIENTAL WATCHMAN PUBLISHING HOUSE, P.O. 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Watchman Publishing House, Salisbury Park, � EXPIRY NOTICE: X on wrapper of Poona 1. � magazine indicates subscription has expired. REGIONAL OFFICES: Andhra, Kerala, Madras and Mysore-13, Cunningham Road, Owned by the Oriental Watchman Publish- Bangalore 1; Gujarat and Maharashtra-16 � ing House, P. 0. Box 35, Poona 1, and Club Road, Bombay 8; Uttar Pradesh, East � printed and published by V. Raju at and Punjab, Delhi and adjacent states-11 � for the Oriental Watchman Publishing House, Halley Road, New Delhi; Bihar, Orissa, West � Post Box 35, Poona 1. 504-70. Bengal—Morabadi Villa, Ranchi, Bihar; Assam 3 A WOMAN'S FIVE CRISES Who says only men have problems? Sure enough, they may sweat a little more, but according to psy- chologists women have more problems than men—at least on the emotional level. Other than the normal ups and downs that are common to both sexes, women have to undergo at least five major crises for no other reason than being a female. We use the word crisis not to cause alarm but rather to create awareness of the problems involved, and then face the situation with calm and courage. Puberty is the first crisis. It takes a little girl out of her fantasy world of dolls and mud pies into aware- ness, maturity, and womanhood. The physical changes that occur at this time may come as a shock to the girl—unless of course her mother has been wise enough to prepare her daughter for the experiences of alolescence. According to an American psy- chologist, where and when the mother fails to establish a personal rapport with her daughter, and when the girl is left on her own, she may end up with a defective personality. The prospect of marriage is another emotional crisis that a woman goes through. While it is normal for every young person to look forward to marriage, how often, through ignorance, fearful images of the new role is built up to the detriment of the happiness of the young couple. One young reader wrote to us a few weeks ago: "My parents have arranged marriage with a fine, well-placed young man. But I am afraid." Why the fear? Her inability to cook? Her inexperience in house- keeping? "Probably not," says one well-known gynx- cologist. "The true reason may be the prospect of the relationship that marriage poses." The family does its part in arranging the wedding, spending money, and showering gifts. But who tells the bride-to-be the true facts of love, sex, and marriage? Should she be left to the tales of old women and the teasings of friends? Marriage will not be a crisis if the prospective bride understands the physical and spiritual signifi- cance of establishing a new home. The third crisis is pregnancy. Cautions Dr. A. H. Klawans of the University of Illinois (U.S.A.) : "The pregnant woman seems to be open prey for witches who delight in relaying to her all the dire sequelae of obstetrics. This form of mental sadism takes its toll. Doctors must recognize the symptoms resulting from these fears, encourage the patient to express them and then erase them. After all, the chances of avoiding morbidity or death are better than 2,000 to one in favour of the patient." Every prospec- tive mother should realize that childbirth is the most rewarding and indeed the most wonderful of all human experiences. The fourth crisis raises questions in the mind of the new mother whether she is adequately meeting her responsibilities in her new role. From the first cries of the new-born, the mother asks herself anxious questions: When will he smile? turn over? crawl? walk? and above all, say mamma? After a few years, her questions take a different turn: Will he grow up to be clever in studies? Will he bring credit to the good name of the family? These questions are good, but should not become an obsession. All that is needed on the part of the new mother is a sense of discipline, dedication and involvement in the bringing up of her child. The final crisis, according to psychologists, comes when the woman crosses the child-bearing period. It is really adolescence in reverse. Fear and misapprehen- sions are the great hazards. The children have grown up and left home. The husband is perfecting his career. The house seems empty, and she feels lonely, no longer, needed. In this period, the woman may even complain of dizziness, palpitation and exhaustion. According to Dr. Klawans, these feelings "can be averted by preparing to take up new skills, by de- veloping intellectually through the years, becoming involved outside the home." Because the house seems empty, because the children no longer require her protective wings, a woman should not feel unwanted. This is the time to attend to her pet projects, to which she didn't have time earlier. Perhaps a forgotten hobby can be re- vived. Or books can once again challenge her intel- lectual pursuits. Or the social needs of the community can occupy her time and interest. None of the emotional changes in the life of a woman mentioned here need become a crisis. Ade- quate information, proper understanding, and re- sponsibile approach can turn these into situations that build character and personality on a mature footing. —J.M.F. 4 � HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 SURGERY and your nose by LLOYD K. ROSENVOLD, M.D.,F.A.C.S. N OSES come in many sizes and shapes. Variations in noses are to be expected. Some people look charming with a turned-up nose, others look digni- fied and handsome with a Roman nose. When the nose does not match the face, the person is often self-conscious and unhappy. If the discord is severe, he may have dif- ficulty finding employment. The upper part of what is called the pyramid of the nose is com- posed of bone that rests on the upper jaw. The lower section is supported by flexible cartilage, which adds a pleasing contour to nasal curves. The nose is supported in the centre by the cartilaginous and bony framework of the nasal septum (middle partition). The lower end of the partition on the outside of the nose is called the columella. Between the sides of the nose and the septum are the nasal passages. The shape of the nostrils is determined by the relationship of the septum to the sides of the nose. Appearance and breathing ability are affected by these structures. In some cases the bone of the upper part of the nasal pyramid is too prominent, and there is a sharp bony hump. Or the cartilage of the lower part of the pyramid is too long, too short, or too sharply curved. The columella at the lower end of the nose may be too promi- nent or not prominent enough. The tip of the nose may sag. The nose may be too short. The ideal angle between the lower part of the nose and the upper lip is between 90 and 105 degrees. If the angle is less than this, usually the nose is too long, and if the angle is greater, usually the nose is too short. Surgical Corrections Surgical correction of outside deformities of the nose may be done under general anaesthesia. Surgery is done almost entirely in- side the nostrils. The incisions made ir.side the nostrils are extended up- ward under the skin so that the soft tissue covering the nose is raised from the bony framework. If the nose is too prominent, the hump is removed and the nose is narrowed, forming a new nasal pyramid. If the nose is too long, a portion of the inside is removed to shorten it. As a rule it is not necessary tt remove any skin from the outside, for the excess skin shrinks as the nose heals. The cartilage that comprises the lower part of the nose can be changed in shape and size. Some- times the sides are removed, re- designed, and reinserted. When the bridge of the nose has fallen, the deformity can be filled with either cartilage or bone. The bone is taken from the hipbone of the patient and modelled in such a way as to fill in the deformity and produce a straight bridge. When cartilage is used, it can be taken from the patient's rib cartilage, from another human donor, or in some instances from a special type of beef cartilage, prepared and sterilized. Only occasionally are the outer skin and soft tissues about the nostrils changed surgically. In a few cases the incisions can be hidden in such a way that no per- manent visible scars result. After an operation the patient usually leaves the hospital within three days. Nasal Deformities For years plastic surgeons searched for a method to fill, in To page 31 HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 � 5 O F course you cannot decide for him. But the chances are much better than ever that he will. For a long time now, a .great many influences have been working on him, most of them below the level of awareness, and by far the greater part of them predispose him to adopt the habit. These influences have, in the main, little to do with logic or common sense. However, they are none the less potent for that. According to the law of inertia, a boy should continue his non-smoking pattern indefinitely till he makes a conscious decision to begin smoking. But it does not work out like that, for the influences I refer to are more powerful than the law of inertia. Young people are so insidiously conditioned to the idea of smoking that they drift into the habit. If they stop to think about it at all, it is to take smoking for granted. Indeed, the only way to avoid the habit is to make a firm decision NOT to smoke. Now this state of affairs is not good enough. So much has been discovered in recent years about the effects of smoking that, if your son is to smoke, it should not be a habit he drifts into. He should DECIDE to smoke as firmly and intelligently as any- one might make the decision to refrain from smoking. I should like, in this article, to persuade you of that fact. After all, it is not fair that a boy without the 6 Do You Want Your Son to Smoke ? by DR. L. H. TURNER benefit of age or experience should have to take such a beating from unscrupulous propaganda. It is not fair that he should launch out into what he believes is independence as the slave of "hidden persuaders," as one penetrating writer has put it. Hidden Persuaders The kind of propaganda to which I refer takes us while we are, to all intents and purposes, asleep, and it shapes our actions in a manner that is almost posthypnotic. And it is devastatingly effective. But this is hitting below the belt, and many people, in- cluding social scientists of world repute, have ques- tioned its legality. After all, it makes nonsense of the whole concept of freedom in the setting of an alleged- ly benign democracy to permit the individual to be controlled by forces he cannot combat because they are trespassing on the sacred ground of his own un- conscious. Let me try to show you in some detail what I mean. As a result of what I have seen and heard and read over a good many years, I have reached some pretty positive conclusions about smoking. But let us suppose that it is possible to sweep out of the mind every piece of evidence that has been used to buttress HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 these judgments. Let us suppose that I now have nothing left to shape my inclinations on the subject of smoking except the influences of advertisements that have played over my relaxed consciousness with- out stirring me to make use of my critical faculties. What, you may now ask me, do 'I feel about smoking? Smoking for Well-being? Well, I have a powerful, though perhaps rather vague, conviction that cigarettes are associated with a state of well-being. They bring recollections of glad- ness. I have impressions of waking with the dew and the birds and the clean country air from which even the 'carbon dioxide has been filtered out by the over- hanging trees, and I feel that all this freshness and beauty has been made cleaner and more invigorating by a cigarette. I have associations, too, of the warm gladness of day, the cold purity of running water, the sweetness and exhilaration of young love, and, in the midst of all these delightful sensations, the grey smoke curling, bewitchingly as a cigarette is drawn upon. And here in the tiny glow of a cigarette young life comes to a focus. You can, of course, tell me that cigarettes are not really clean or romantic. You can tell me that they are full of ugly impurities, and that smoking is a dirty habit. But it would not impress me much. You see, I FEEL quite differently about it. I seem to persist, too, in associating cigarettes with the concept of manhood. In my mind there can be no real horseman, no genuine skier, no conspicuous athlete, no driver of powerful cars without a cigarette. Likewise I seem to take it for granted that the men of power in the world of business, the executives with a complex hierarchy under their control, the men who sit in conference while their subordinates do the dull chores of clerkdom, all know the proper cigarette to herald this fact. indeed, I have a humble awareness that the process of choosing and handling a cigarette in such circles is a kind of pageantry. It is like a very exclusive religion with its sophisticated little ceremony that is carried out suavely with a confidence and deft- ness of touch which I could never hope to match. So, you see, if you rob me of my logically founded judgments, I cannot do other than smoke. I associate smoking with beauty, romance, cleanness, strength, skill, aristocracy of talent and power, with opulence. with grace and distinction, with the wholesomeness, the carefree, fun-loving spontaneity of youth. But now you must give me back those cognitive faculties that were swept from my mind, because I want to see this magical "smoke" with the unrelenting eye of objectivity. And what is this business of smoking when we strip from it all this propaganda? It is the act of sucking on a cylinder of finely sliced dead leaves as they sullenly smoulder. It is a rather drab and childish thing to do, and the tobacco industry has per- formed a feat that is little short of miraculous in mes- merizing the public into adopting the attitude that it has. But surely any father would want his son to smoke or refrain from smoking on better grounds than all this hallucinatory nonsense. Surely, we would want the next generation to make its choice after looking the pros and cons squarely in the face. Why to Smoke? What can be said for smoking? Candidly, not much. I think that I should put down as my number one excuse for smoking the fact that I would be right in the middle of the herd doing what most people are doing, and feeling comfortable in the conviction that I am, in one respect, so far in- distinguishable from the typical human that I would be bound to escape criticism, resentment or partial rejection. And then there are those delightfully cosy ex- periences that I can share in, like offering my packet all round the circle and dropping the empty container lightly into the proper receptacle while the manu- facturers smile benignly upon me. The sense of belong- ing, bought so cheaply, is not to be despised. And there are benefits that only a smoker can really appreciate. There are the times, for instance, when one really needs a cigarette. The feeling of re- lid that comes as the tension flows gently out of one's being—this is really a positive advantage. A single cigarette, under these circumstances; is sufficient to give you back the sense of well-being that you used to have before you began to smoke. Of course, it does not last, but then the whole cycle of mounting tension, and irritability, and restlessness and hunger followed by that wonderful soothing effect may be repeated ad infinitum. Again, as so many smokers have pointed out, a cigarette provides one with something to do with one's Why should a father simply sit back, while his son is assaulted from all sides by the kind of propaganda that associates smoking with beauty, romance, cleanness, strength, skill, aristocracy, manhood, and eternal youth? hands. The non-smoker is deprived of this satisfaction. But then the non-smoker is often unaware of the fact that he ought to do something with his hands. Then there is another advantage that ought not to be overlooked: If you smoke, you will not be dis- tressed by smoker's breath. A heavy smoker with stom- ach disorders can lean towards you in intimate con- versation, and you will not be bothered in the least. Now with the unhappy conviction that I may have lost sight of some of the advantages which to- bacco advertisers have at their fingertips, I will turn to the disadvantages of smoking. Disadvantages of Smoking I won't try to put them into any particular order of importance. Your health is bound to be affected adversely. No one can take in tars and nicotine and other im- purities and come off unscathed. You will not feel so light and well-oiled as you used to do. You may not be subject to depression, but neither will you be visited so frequently with those occasional moments of ec- static youthfulness. As time goes by you may well be troubled by an almost imperceptible need to smoke more. You will pass your peak of smoking pleasure. You will, as even the cigarette manufacturers admit, begin to "smoke more and enjoy it less." Your fine sense of taste will be blunted, and you will feel the need of stronger condiments to give some gusto to your enjoy- ment of meals. Your awareness of the world of scents and flowers will become dulled. The pleasure of gar- dens will be reduced to one dimension. As your poison intake increases, your mornings will lose some of their delights. You will sometimes, perhaps always, awaken with that nasty thick taste in your mouth which can only be burned out with a morning cigarette. And you could well join the group of coughers, struggling with that hard dry cough that reminds you more than anything else that you ought to cut down a bit. Lastly, you will live with the uneasy fear that there may be truth in the cold, implacable statistics that announce that with the rise in the poison content of city air, it is growing steadily more hazard- ous to load your lungs with your own private poison. Now it may be, fathers, that you would want to debunk any anti-tobacco talk because you smoke. But surely you would want your son to decide this matter in full view of all the pros and cons. Surely you would want him to get away from the Santa Claus atmos- phere created by unscrupulous advertising long enough to see things as they are. This is something that few young people are likely to achieve unaided, but it is a service that any father can provide without difficulty and without even embarrassment. � *** 8 M ODERN civilization depends on the machine, on the internal combustion engine, the jet aircraft, on a technology which entails noise. To find human beings who are not constantly ex- posed to artificial noise, the scientist today has to seek out remote tribes in the jungles of South America or Africa, or in the polar wastes. Everywhere else, noise, the invisible enemy, is virtually omnipresent. It es- calates from mere nuisance to a level where resistance involves an effort of endurance, then may climb to a point where it becomes an assault on the body, caus- ing both mental and physical disturbance. Yet the problem of noise is still far from receiving the at- tention it deserves. �. Unlike other forms of attack on human beings, noise is not always punishable in law. Whether sud- den, intermittent or continuous, noise is not as evident a form' of assult as a blow on the head, but it is never- theless likely to cause some kind of damage, almost inperceptible perhaps, but nonetheless dangerous for that. Occupational Hazard According to Dr. Alan Bell of WHO, "noise is both an occupational hazard and a public nuisance". That noise creates problems in industry is, however, no recent discovery. Nearly three centuries ago, the Italian medical writer Ramazzini noted in his book on occupational disease, De Morbis Artificum, that workers engaged in hammering copper gradually be- came deaf. Later, in the nineteenth century, as the industrial revolution began to get into its stride, a con- HERALD OP HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 NOISE the invisible enemy by A. STRIGANOV siderable amounts of literature began to accumulate about noise and its effects on hearing. Today, when the majority of workers are sur- rounded by some kind of machinery, the noise inva- sion is total, and the problems it raises are corres- pondingly greater. Industrial research in many coun- tries has shown that noise in the work environment is the main cause of occupational deafness. Some form of hearing damage, either temporary or permanent, is likely to affect men subjected to constant noise in a workshop. The degree of deafness is not only related to length of service and extent and type of noise. The general level of noise and its composition play a part, as well as the length of exposure during the working day and during the individual's working life. Factors of non-occupational origin also count, the presence or absence of other ear complaints, individual sensitiv- ity to noise, and the kinds of noise encountered in daily life. Many kinds of workers face a noise risk—they include men in heavy industry, construction and transport, foundries, boiler-making, weaving, ship- building, tunnelling and blasting. The most evident effects of noise range from distraction and annoyance to serious loss of hearing. The initial signs of im- pairment are difficult to detect except by audiometric examination, and often those affected are themselves unaware of the deterioration. Hearing defects vary with the person and the work situation. Sound Intensity A sound is essentially a vibration, and its inten- HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 sity is described in decibels (dB). A sound at 5 dB strikes the human ear as faint, while 100 dB is ag- gressive. Experts are not unanimous regarding maxi- mum noise levels, but there is fairly wide agreement that above 85 dB there is a risk of permanent deaf- ness. Some specialists maintain that no worker should be exposed to 135 dB or more without appropriate protection. Certain national legislations limit the per- missible maximum levels to 75 or 85 dB for workers doing an eight-hour shift daily in noisy surroundings. The table below indicates the approximate intensity in decibels, of a number of familiar daily noises: A whisper � : 20 dB A watch ticking Punch press Circular saw : 95-105 dB : 100-110 dB at 1 metre � : 30 dB Sand blasting : 118 dB Conversation : 60 dB Motorcycle Street � noise : 40-70 dB without silencer : 120 dB Sports car : 80-95 dB Riveting : 130 dB Lathe : 85-95 dB Laboratory and factory studies show that noise affects the worker, as an individual, and in certain cir- cumstances may also lower his output, depreciate ef- ficiency and morale, and become a causative factor in accidents. Noisy surroudings create anxiety, irritability and fatigue, particularly among susceptible individuals. Noise can bring about temporary changes in many activities of • the body, including the central nervous system and the stomach. Noise and Industry Noise, therefore, creates a two-pronged challenge to industry, for it not only affects workers' health, but sabotages productivity. In fact, some experts claim 9 that the losses caused by hearing impairment among workers are greater than those caused by any other occupational illness. There is not only the impairment as such to be considered, but also the cost of com- pensation claims, decline in output, and an increase in the number of accidents. Before the last war, office noise was estimated to be costing business firms in the United States of America about $2,000,000 a day through loss of efficiency. Since then, the figure is said to have doubled. In spite of all this, many countries still neglect the problem, even though it is possible by modern techniques to prevent most of occupational deafness, and to reduce or eliminate noise efficiently and at low cost, while at the same time improving working conditions. How to Lessen Noise In general, the best way of dealing with any hazard is by suppressing it at the source, either by substitution or engineering. In the case of noise, a machine may be substituted by a more silent one; welding can replace riveting, while metal can be cleaned chemically instead of by high-speed polish- ing. Metal parts may be replaced by rubber or plastic. A well-maintained machine makes less noise than one which is in need of lubrication, or has worn parts that need to be changed. Absorbent linings help to keep general noise low. The noise of a machine can be reduced by enclosure, or by segregating heavy plant in certain parts of the factory. Management can also help by task rotation among workers, or by reducing the length of shifts. K?PQVic,Wc?PggFcAFC"?gfc?gFc? Vacuum Flask May Explode Your vacuum flask is looking for a time and place to explode and a moment of carelessness could lead to a lifetime of blindness. The following guidelines are recommended for using vacuum flasks: 1. Never insert metal utensils or wire bottle brushes into vacuum flasks. 2. Do not use vacuum flasks to carry carbonated beverages. 3. Avoid creating temperature extremes. 4. Never eat or drink directly from the flask. nfig=flift"=1 10 Where such solutions are not practicable, there should be greater emphasis on methods of personal protection, including the use of ear-plugs, ear muffs, and helmets. Audiometric Tests It is very important for the health of workers in noisy surroundings that they receive audiometric tests before placement, and have periodic hearing checks by medical services. Audiometry assists decisions about placement, helps in the detection of hearing loss and the identification of particularly sensitive workers, and can be used as a measure of the efficiency of steps taken to suppress or reduce noise. Although some industrialized countries still seek to deal with the noise problem by the method of per- suasion alone, a steadily growing number of coun- tries have become alert to the danger, and have adopted legislation, established exposure standards, and introduced compensation schemes. These laws and regulations tend to differ from one country to another. In the United Kingdom, for example, the 1960 Noise Abatement Act widened the scope of the statutory provision, so that control be- came easier to enforce. Detailed regulations in the USSR cover the design and operation of machines, vibration control, the replacement of operations in- volving percussion by non-percussive systems, sound- proof cabins, sound-absorbing materials, methods of measuring noise, medical examinations, permissible levels of noise, and even the design of ear protectors. In Austria, noisy machines or manufacturing processes must by law be separated from other parts of the factory. In Iinland, noisy processes must be broken into "on-off" periods, or at times slowed down, if the nuisance cannot be adequately dealt with by other means. Regulations in Czechoslovakia include a recommendation that noise should be lowered when- ever possible by the introduction of automation and remote control. In Turkey workers not directly in- volved are forbidden to enter noisy machine rooms. Control of noise at the source is part of the regulatory system in force in same states in America, hile some national legislation, as in Austria and Canada, makes the provision of ear protectors and hearing aids mandatory. In many countries, including Australia, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Norway and the USSR, special organizations and commissions have been set up to study the problems created by noise. Since noise is part and parcel of our civilization, it should be the concern of everybody who has to deal with health matters. Industrially up-coming nations like our own cannot afford to lag behind in noise control. � *** HERALD OP HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 HAT wonderfully complicated "machine plus"—that's your body—performs more chores in a single day than you'd believe possible. These are among the things that have been happening to your body in just the last twenty-four hours: Your heart, although rated at only 1/240 hp, beat 100,800 times and with each beat pumped five ounces of blood into circulation- 4,000 gallons for the day. Every second of the day, 10,000,- 000 red cells were destroyed—and replaced. Your blood went coursing through 100,000 miles of blood ves- sels. When you were relaxing, it travelled fast enough to take only one minute for a drop of blood to circulate from your big toe and back again. When you exercised at all, because of the more rapid heart action, the total time may have been only fifteen to thirty seconds. You breathed 23,240 times, ab- sorbing more than twenty cubic feet of oxygen, giving up more than twenty cubic feet of carbon dioxide. That was the result of breathing in 7.9 quarts of air each minute even when you stood still. When you walked, you used twice as much air; when you ran, three times as much. You mixed a few sighs in with the breathing—about one sigh every three minutes or so (a little more often for women than men). And when you sighed, you breathed about twice as deeply as your average breath. When with all the inhaling and exhaling, you did some perspiring too, you contributed about half a pound of moisture vapour per hour to the air in your home. Each of the 120,000 hairs on your scalp was busy, indeed, grow ing eighty per cent of the time and resting only twenty per cent. Which is why you have to see that bc.rber so often. Hair on the rest of your body was growing only forty to fifty per cent of the time. Your eyes used up fully one fourth of all your body's nervous energy during the day. And no wonder. They registered at least 50,000 images on your brain in that time. If you spent your day reading, your eye muscles moved your eyes about 100,000 times. You blinked a lot too, and since every time you did, you shut vision off for three tenths of a second, and since a short period of readjust- ment was needed after each blink before you could see again, you were more or less unseeing eleven to twenty per cent of your waking time. You ate three and one half pounds of food. If you're average, you consume your own weight in food about once every fifty days (once every ten days if you're a healthy child). And maybe you gt.ined weight. If what you ate came to more than 2,500 calories, you probably •did. Because while our grandparents needed 3,500 calories a day, most of us now, what with the shorter work week, cars, and innumerable mechanical aids, need no more than 2,500. You walked 20,000 steps during the day if you're average. Keep this up and by the time you're eighty, you will have walked half a billion steps—enough to travel six times around the earth. You lost a little height too, if you're thirty or more. Not much —about .00007 inch. But in twenty years, you can expect to add up to a loss of half an inch, which is average. You exercised your 10,000,000,- 000 brain cells—didn't you? You spoke 4,800 words. And you turned in your sleep twenty-five to thirty-five times, nor were you unusually restless, just average. � *** ~IoUHR I3U8-1 by IRWIN Ross, Ph.D. HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 � 11 S HOES are not inexpensive these days, so give every pair you purchase good care. It is not economy to buy cheap shoes. Even though they often look good in the shop, they will not hold up or keep their shape, because they do not have the material or workmanship that gives long life and takes hard wear. Always buy shoes of a brand name with a well- established reputation. The best is always the cheapest in the end. Make sure that the shoes you buy fit perfectly. Never let a loqua- cious salesman shoehorn you into a pair because they look smart on your feet or because his sales quota is low. Make sure that the shoes feel right and are your proper size before you leave the shop. You will be assured of a maximum amount of comfortable wear from them. An intelligent salesman who understands his business can deter- mine the type, style, and size shoe that you should wear, and which is best suited to your foot. Correct fitting does much to maintain shape and appearance. Incorrect fitting places undue strain on cer- tain parts of the shoe, causing weakening. It may result in un- sightly cracks and bulges. It is true economy to own several pairs of shoes of each kind you use in order that you may rotate in wearing them, giving them regular rest. The investment seems large, but once you make it you will find it an economy mea- sure because of the extra wear you will get from all your shoes. Sweat is harmful to leather, and by alternating footwear you give each pair of shoes time to dry. Shoe authorities say that two pairs of shoes wear almost three times longer than one pair if this turn- about system is used. breakdown of shoe counters, helps preserve shape, and keeps the top line as neat as it was when the shoes were new. A folded paper will act as a temporary shoehorn if you cannot find a real one. No matter how much of a hurry you are in, always use one or the other. Never remove your laced shoes without untying the laces first. Forcing off the shoe when it is tied stretches the leather, pulls your shoes out of shape, and causes breaks in stitching. Unlace your shoes before taking them off and pull open the tight laces in order to give your foot plenty of room to slide out of the shoe freely. Keep your shoes polished. Be- sides the well-groomed look this care gives, most good polishes (you should use no other kind) contain oil and wax that are nourishing to leather and prevent stains from paietrating the pores of the mate- rial. That is why many people get a shine before wearing new shoes. The polish gives the shoes a pro- tective coating from the start. Remove wet or damp shoes as soon as possible. Leather wears on. quickly when frequently wet, and dampness is a shape thief. After removing damp shoes, place shoe trees inside them, turn the shoes on their sides to allow air to circulate freely, and place them well away from any source of Ikat. Allow damp shoes to dry slowly at room temperature. Never put them in or near any kind of heater to permit them to dry quickly, lest they dry out and crack. When they are thoroughly dry at room temperature give them a polishing to supply oils that may have dried out. Shoe experts have long given calf and other smooth leather an occasional cleaning with saddle soap. Now this care is being given more and more by people in their own homes. The soap is inexpen- sive, and the home method is as good as the professional method. Use a small damp sponge, work up a lather, and apply. Then rinse the sponge, wipe the leather with it, let the shoes dry well, and apply polish. You will be delighted with the results. Always put shoe trees in your shoes as you remove them from your feet. Even though yon think they are perfectly dry, there is moisture in any shoe after it has been worn. If shoes are not placed in shoe trees they gradually lase shape. Properly constructed shoe trees of the correct size pay for themselves in long life for shoes. Watch for worn places, rundown Take Care of Your Shoes by LOUISE PRICE BELL Care of Shoes Always use a shoehorn when putting on footwear. It prevents 12 heels, and broken stitching. Once you discover them waste no time in taking the shoes to a repairman. A runover heel throws undue strain on portions of the vamp and twists the shoe out of shape. If neglected, the shoe can never be brought back to its original shape and well-proportioned lines. Run- over heels are not the mark of a well-groomed person. A sole worn thin permits moisture seepage, which quickly deteriorates insoles and linings. Attend to repairs promptly. Many parents think that if they buy their children pretty shoes that do not hurt they are doing their duty. This is not true. Experience has established that such foot ail- ments as callouses, corns, bunions, ingrown toenails, and fungous in- fection have medical histories that go back to the sufferer's youth. Most people are born with strong, healthy feet, but ill-fitting shoes soon take their toll. The respons- ibility to keep children's feet in good condition is entirely the parents'. Shoes for Children The first shoes should fit as cor- rectly as those worn in later years. When children start to walk, good walking habits can be greatly helped by proper footwear. Al- though it would be ideal for young- sters to learn to walk barefooted, modern civilization with its hard floors, pavement, dirt, and dust makes shoes necessary. Shoes for children should be carefully fitted, because the foot of the small child is very flexible, Always make sure that the little shoes are not too heavy. Heavy shoes may weaken the spring of the foot and destroy its suppleness. The heel should fit in such a way as to hold the foot firmly. From toe to instep the shoe should be flexi- ble. Light-weight leather-soled shoes are perfect for indoor wear, and it is the wise parent who teaches his children to change from heavy outdoor shoes to light ones when he comes in from play. This plan prevents the habit of wearing sneakers constantly. Make sure there is three quarters of an inch of toe freedom when the child is standing, because some feet are almost a size larger when the weight of the body is on them. Be sure that the shoes are wide enough to allow for toe spread. Extra length does not make up for too- narrow width. Although little chil- dren's feet are soft and pliable, they cannot be pushed about with- out harmful results. Too-narrow shoes cause corns from constant rubbing. The American Foot Care Insti- tute has issued a set of basic rules for foot health applying to both adults and children everywhere: 1. Wash your feet once or twice a day and dry them thoroughly afterward. 2. Change your shoes often. Change your socks once or twice a day. 3. Cut your toenails straight across, and never too short. 4. Buy all-leather shoes for foot health and comfort. Avoid rubber. 5. Be sure that the shoes fit right, also that socks are one-half inch longer than the foot. 6. Teach children to wriggle their toes and feet to keep the muscles lithe. 7. Avoid sitting around in wet feet. Teach youngsters to remove wet footwear at once. 8. Teach children to walk cor- rectly. 9. To avoid foot trouble have any foot ailment cared for without delay. 10. Do not be a home doctor for your children's feet. If there is something abnormal about a child's foot take him to your doctor or to a paediatrician. �*** by CLIFFORD R. ANDERSON, M.D. YOUR RADIO DOCTOR 14 Why Blood Is Thicker Than Water i HERE are many old sayings that have come down to us from the past. Some are true, others are not. Some are useful, others have little meaning to us today. But there is one that is not only true but also very important. This is the old saying that "blood is thicker than water." It is im- possible to know who may have first observed this, but it is abso- lutely true. In fact normal, healthy blood is no less than five times thicker than water! And for a very good reason, for blood is not a simple fluid like water. On the contrary it is a mixture of many different chemicals and organic substances, all of which are neces- sary in maintaining the health and vitality of the body. But this is only part of the pic- ture. Not only are there many important chemicals present in the blood, but there are also myriads of tiny living cells. That rich, red liquid that is flowing so freely in your veins and arteries is literally alive with these microscopic cells that are so vital to the life of the body. The most numerous are the red blood cells. They carry iron in the form of hxmoglobin. This is a very complex substance that carries oxygen to the tissues. On its return journey it brings back a load of an- other gas called carbon dioxide. It is this hxmoglobin that gives the red colour to the blood. There are no less than five million red blood cells in each cubic millimetre of blood. In case you are interested, a millimetre is a speck about the size of the head of a small pin. Living Cells But in addition to these millions of red cells there are thousands of other living cells in that same tiny speck of blood. These are known as white blood cells. They have a different function to perform. It is their job to devour and destroy HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 / /, & el; 0 airp � ,g0 Lee C iii eiCiv �fe et White blood cells devouring germs that are multiplying around the end of a splinter. Blood-vessels are shown in red. any germs that may find their way into your blood stream. Without these valiant little fighters none of us would live very long. Germs are very small. But the white blood cells always seem to find them, and before long they disappear from the blood stream. How they do this is a long story in itself, but we must not stop to consider this just now. Then there are also many tiny fragments of cells floating around in the blood stream. These are known as platelets. It is their spe- cial work to plug up any holes that may occur in the walls of your blood vessels. Without their help you might quickly bleed to death from some cut or other injury. In addition there are various types of proteins, and food materials, and other things all floating around in the blood. All of these have their own special function to perform. If there are too many or too few of any one kind, something is bound to happen, and soon the whole body may be in trouble. Clotting Arrangement Now because the blood stream is filled with so many different things it is really a living tissue in itself. For instance, if you should cut your finger, blood will flow. It is warm and red, and runs quite freely. In a few minutes however it becomes sticky, and soon it stops flowing from the wound. In other words, the blood within your body remains fluid as long as it is in circulation. But when it is exposed to the air something happens. It begins to clot and is no longer fluid. This is nature's way of preserving this vital fluid from being lost. This clotting arrangement is a much simpler mechanism than anything that man has yet been able to devise. For instance, if the waterpipe in your bathroom should burst, you would have to call a HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 plumber. ,And by the time he has finished, you will not only have a lot of mess to clean up but a big repair bill to pay as well. Nature usually has a better method than anything we know. But naturally all these substances within the blood stream tend to increase the amount of energy required to keep the blood in circulation. This is the reason for the pressure of blood within the arteries. The motive power for moving the blood comes largely from the heart. This one fact explains the importance of avoiding all unnecesary strain upon the heart, particularly during some severe illness, such as rheumatic fever. But in addition to these sub- stances in the blood stream, all of which require a certain amount of pressure from the heart, there are other factors that also play their part in raising and maintaining the blood pressure at a normal level. For instance, the walls of all the blood vessels are elastic. This is particularly true in the arteries. Throughout life these arteries are always under a certain amount of tension. The blood flowing through them keep them constantly on the stretch. This ability to stretch, this elasticity as it is called, is necessary to keep the calibre of the vessels just the right size for the normal flow of blood. The muscles and elastic tissue within the walls of the vessels make this possible, so that the blood is kept flowing at just the right speed to meet the needs of the body at all times. In other words, these elastic walls in the arteries expand and allow the pulse wave to pass along the vessel. Then they contract for a split sec- ond until the next pulse wave comes along from the heart. You can feel this quite easily if you just place your finger tips along the in- ner edge of your wrist and take your own pulse. The Circulation The heart is a marvellous pump. But it does not pump the blood in a continuous stream like a machine, but rather in waves or pulse beats. This has certain advantages in circulating the many different elements and substances within the blood stream. It is really a remark- 15 The arterioles—those tiny, invisible blood vessels that branch off from all the arteries within our bodies—hold the secret of our vitality. When they fail, we have reached the end. able piece of engineering and plan- ning, for these pulsations allow the tissue fluids to remain in the vicin- ity of each cell just long enough for the cell to select the materials it needs and to get rid of the poi- sons that have accumulated from the normal processes of living. The pressure within your arteries is high. It has to be, for these are the vessels that carry the blood up to the head and to all the rest of the body. If you were to insert a needle into one of your arteries, and then attach it to a glass tube which is open at the top, you would notice that the column of I lood would rise a considerable distance up the tube. The height of course would depend on the level of the blood pressure. This was beautifully illustrated many years ago by Sam- uel Hales, an English investigator. He inserted a goose quill into an artery of a horse, and then at- tached a long glass tube to the quill. He then found that the col- umn of blood rose to a height of over six feet! That was a consider- able head of pressure, as the en- gineers would say. In striking contrast to these high arterial pressures the pressure within the veins is low. It is so low that your body has to depend upon other factors to bring the blood back into your heart again. The movements of the large mus- cles in your arms and legs help to return the blood to your heart. That is the reason it is so hard for a person to sit absolutely still for very long. Nature depends on mus- cle movements to force the blood along the veins toward the heart. Breathing is Important Another important factor is the way you breathe. This negative pressure within your chest helps to draw the blood along the larger veins and into the right side of your heart. That is why it is so impor- tant for a person to learn to breathe properly, and take plenty of deep breaths during the day. At night when you are asleep your body is not in the upright position, it is flat in bed. This in itself makes the return flow to the heart that much easier. When a person faints he falls to the ground. His blood pressure at that moment is very low, so low that it could probably not even be measured. This is what is called a state of "shock." Nature causes the individual to fall so that he will assume a flat horizontal position. This helps to keep the blood in circulation so that the brain and the nervous system will not lose their supply of oxygen. When a person falls in a faint it is best to make him com- fortable in that position until he recovers, or until he can be taken by ambulance to hospital. In any case, call a doctor at once. Blood Pressure But to get back to the blOod pressure. We have already said that the pressure within the arteries is high, while that within the veins is low. The remarkable drop in pres- sure takes place within the arteri- oles. These are the tiny invisible blood vessels that branch off from all the arteries within your body. There must be hundreds of thou- sand of these little vessels. They are the tiny pipe lines that carry the blood from the arteries and dis- tribute it to all the tissues of the body. Each arteriole breaks up into numerous smaller vessels called capillaries. These microscopic ves- sels are so small that the red cells have to go through them in single file. The walls of these capillaries are so thin that the food substances and chemicals can pass through them and out among the tissue cells. At the same time the poisons that have accumulated around the cells, the ashes and exhaust fumes of the blood stream go back through the veins to the heart. It is a remarkable process, and one at which we never cease to marvel.. Arterioles Regulate Blood Pressure But those arterioles have another very important function. They not only distribute the blood to the body, but they also regulate the blood pressure. They do this by their ability to expand and con- tract in size. When they contract there is less space within the vessels. This causes the blood pressure to rise. When they relax there is more space, and the blood pressure falls. It is as simple as that. But these decisions are not left up to the arterioles. They only ex- pand and contract in response to orders from higher up. There are many different forces that play their part in raising and lowering a person's blood pressure Some types of illness will raise the blood pressure, others will cause it to fall. Any type of stress may cause a person's pressure to rise. When the emotional crisis has passed the pressure will usually return to normal. But if the stress continues over a long period, the pressure n ight tend to remain high per- manently. When this happens cer- tain changes take place within the walls of the arterioles, and after that they no longer have the abil- ity to contract and relax. In other words they remain contracted all the time. There are other factors such as diet that may also play their part in some cases. But the most signif- icant, factors of all probably arise from a person's family background. If your ancestors had high blood pressure you are far more likely to To page 31 16 � HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 varying amouts depending on the length of the time the leaves are allowed to steep. There are other effects of tea drinking, perhaps less marked, but influencing digestion. It should be noted that all excessively hot or ex- cessively cold drinks have a marked effect on the stomach muscle and digestive secretions of the stom- ach. Even water taken too hot may not only damage the delicate secretory glands contained within the stomach wall but also arrest digestion in the stomach until normal stomach temperature is regained. Very cold water or food may stop the digestive process temporarily, but permanent damage to the stomach tissues is much less likely to occur. Hot or cold liquids taken with the meal in quantity retard digestion by diluting digestive secre- tions. Drinking large quantities of liquids with meals is detrimental and should be discouraged. � *4(4 17 Tannin is present in tea as a drink in HOW ABOUT TEA? by RONALD W. SPALDING, M.D. EA, the leafy part of the tea plant, and coffee, the berry of the coffee plant, are popular habit forming drinks because of their caffeine content. Nearly sixty years ago Lillian Eshelman, M.D., aptly said: "The real foundation for the tea and coffee habit is the desire for artificial felicity. It is an attempt to borrow from one's future store of energy." Neither coffee nor tea contains any energy-giving properties if the milk and sugar are omitted. An average cup of coffee contains about two grains of caffeine; a cup of tea, one and a half to two grains. The cola drinks contain from half to one grain of caffeine per bottle. People who use these drinks can readily reckon the amount of the stimulant caffeine they drink every day. Coffee, tea, and cola drinkers may be compared with the instalment buyer who borrows,from the bank in ever-increasing amounts in order to keep up his monthly payments on purchases. The caffeine drinkers are borrowing on their reserve stocks of physical and nervous energy. The more they drink, the closer they come to nervous exhaustion and physical bankruptcy. It is a wise plan to take in- ventory now and establish health habits that will build your physical reserves against the day of stress. 0 � �It is the stimulating effect of the caffeine con- tent that makes tea and coffee habit-forming. But caffeine is only one of the drugs found in these beve- rages. Both contain tannin. In coffee it is in the form of caffeo-tannic acid, in which form it does not precipitate proteins or act strongly in the way of an astringent as in tea. Tannin is used in the tanning process of leather to coagulate, or "fix" the protein of the hide. To -a smaller degree, but with marked effect, the tannin contained in a cup of tea produces a coagulating and an irritating effect on the lining of the stomach. Tannin also has the effect of binding, or chang- ing to an insoluble form, the iron contained in the food with which it comes in contact, so that the body cannot use it. There can be no doubt that this action is one of the contributing causes of low hemoglobin in habitual tea drinkers. HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 Cancer cells may begin to grow among nor- mal tissue cells, pushing them aside. Growth is rapid, as shown in the diagram. What is Oa by DR. C. E. NELSON C ANCER is a disease that affects one in every two families and one in every three people. It is not a single disease but a multitude of diseases that have one thing in common—the continual growth of tissues over which the body has lost control. Our bodies grow symmetrically, and when we attain a certain age we stop growing. Cancer is a piece of body tissue the growth of which is outside the control of the body. As cancer cells multiply they form a lump, or tumour mass, which if not controlled early, may in- vade the blood-vessels or lymphatic vessels and spread to other parts of the body. Not all tumours are cancerous. A benign tumour is one that grows only locally, never spreads to other parts of the body, and rarely kills. If cancer is not controlled, it will grow until it destroys life. Cancer occurs at any age. Infants have been born with it. It is more common in older people, but it not infrequently occurs in the twenties and thirties. Cancer is not contagious, hence cannot be trans- mitted by contact. It is not hereditary except in rare conditions such as some eye tumours in children, some nerve tumours, and some tumours of the large in- testine. Sometimes cancer of the breast may have a hereditary background. It may be four times as great in some families as the average incidence in women. Researchers are doing much work on the causes of cancer. The exact causes are not yet known, but fundamental factors that prepare the tissues for the development of cancer are known. Importance of Dietary Habits Sir Robert McCarrison, who lived among remote tribes of India for many years and performed more than four thousand major operations, said he never 18 saw a case of cancer among these tribes. These people ate only unrefined foods. As a result of his studies of the dietary habits of these people and of experimenta- tion in which animals were placed on various diets, he concluded that lifelong dietary habits are the basis for most disease, including cancer. The eating of refined foods, which to a large extent have lost their vitamins and minerals (white flour, polished rice, some prepared cereals, sugar, macaronis—devitalized foods), with inadequate in- take of protective foods (fresh vegetables, legumes, whole grains, fruits, and nuts), prepares the tissues for some irritant or trigger mechanism that may incite the development of cancer. The skin and mucous membranes of people who eat largely of refined foods are more delicate and susceptible to infection and irritant. This condition no doubt prepares the way for possible development of cancer. The exciting, or secondary, cause of cancer may be described as the trigger mechanism that starts the trievelopment of the malignancy in susceptible tissue. This may be chronic irritation such as a sharp tooth irritating the tongue, excessive sunlight, dust, or chemical irritants on. the skin, the use of hot, irritat- ng foods or drinks, constant irritation from tobacco tars, or continuous bruising of tissues such as birth- marks or dark moles in areas constantly irritated by clothing, shoes, or other means. Burn scars over joints that flex may develop cancer after fifteen or twenty years. Hormone Imbalance Another factor in certain cancers, particularly of the breast and prostate gland, is imbalance of hor- HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 Cancerous Growth Breaks Through Normal Tissue Normal Cells 1 Minute Abnormal Cells 5 Minutes 10 Minutes � 21 Minutes Abnormal Cell Growth Starts O o 4,0,00,04;40404o4o4o4o, o o,o,o4o,o,o,o+o,o,o,o,o eto elo o.ko+o,o4o,o,o,o, ctost000loos000000 o ABNORMAL GROWTH Nature Does Not Apply Brakes loer? mones in the body. The exces- sive stimulation of the breast by hormones that are made in the ovaries may incite cancer of the breast. Breast cancer is much higher in women and men who have cirrhosis of the liver. In the liver the hormones are burned up in the fires of the B vita- mins. In cirrhosis of the liver so many of the liver cells are destroyed that it cannot store the vitamins that burn up the hormones. As a result, an excessive amount of hormones is constantly circulating in the body, causing undue stimulation. The inade- quate intake of the B-complex and other vitamins may be a factor in development of breast cysts, other in- flammatory conditions of the breast, and possible cancer. A single injury rarely causes cancer. A single injury to the breast does not make breast cancer, but it does call the attention of the person to the breast, and an examination may reveal that a lump is present. The irritants of tobacco tars play an important part in the development of cancers in the respiratory system, where tobacco smoke goes through the mouth, throat, and passages to the lungs. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer. The death rate for it is much lower than for other forms, because it can be seen and diagnosed and treated early. The most common killer of women is breast cancer, followed by uterine cancer and cancer of the stomach and bowel. In men, killer No. 1 is cancer of the lungs, followed by cancer of the stomach, of the bowel, and of the prostate. HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 The American Cancer Society stresses seven car- dinal danger signs: 1. Any sore that does not heal. 2. A lump, or thickening, in the breast or .else- where. 3. Unusual bleeding or discharge. 4. Any change in a wart or a mole. 5. Persistent indigestion or difficulty in swallow- ing. 6. Sudden hoarseness or cough. 7. Any change in normal bowel habit. Here are some of the more common forms of cancer and some of their outstanding features: 1. Skin Cancer An estimated seventy-five per cent occur above the collar and below the cuff-areas subject to sunlight, lust, and wind. Farmers, seamen, and others who work in the sun are most susceptible. It is much more common in blonde persons, who sunburn easily, especially Scottish, Irish, and Scandinavian people. There are three general forms. 19 The exact causes of cancer are not known, but fundamental factors that prepare the tissues for the development of cancer are known. (a) The Basal Cell Cancer. The least dangerous variety is basal cell cancer, which occurs most com- monly on the face above the angles of the mouth. It often starts as what is thought to be a pimple or a small elevated reddish lesion, occasionally having a blister-like appearance, which later forms a scab that bleeds when removed. If not treated, it will invade any surrounding tissue, whether bone, eye, or nose. It can be cured easily by several forms of therapy if treated early, but if neglected can cause death. (b) Squamous Cell Cancer. A more dangerous form of skin cancer is known as squamous cell type. It appears more commonly on the lower part of the face and around the ears, on the neck, and on the hands. It usually develops from a reddened ' scaly condition of the skin or from horn-like growths. It often ulcerates, and is likely to spread to the lymph nodes and other parts of the body if not properly treated. (c) Melanoma. The third form of skin cancer, the most highly malignant, is sometimes called the black cancer. It is a cancer that develops on birth- marks—the brownish-black or blue birth-marks or moles. This cancer can develop any time after puberty. The flat type of birth-mark is more likely to become cancerous than birth-marks having raised surfaces and containing hair. Birth-marks on the feet and on pressure areas where clothes rub, such as around the waist, under the brassieres, over the shoulder-blades under the collar, and on th face of men should be removed. If a mole or birth-mark starts to grow, turns dark, or develops a blister or a scaly condition, it is a danger sign and should be seen by a physician im- mediately. These cancers will spread quickly to the surrounding lymph nodes or the blood-stream. It is important that they be treated early. Moles that become malignant during pregnancy are exceedingly malignant. We recommend that women who have moles in pressure areas remove them in the early months of pregnancy. Moles should not be removed with a cautery or an electric needle, but are best cut out and the wound sutured. Malignant moles are treated by radical surgery. 2. Cancers of the Digestive Tract (a) Stomach. There are no early symptoms of cancer of the stomach, but a person should be suspi- cious of any persistent indigestion, loss of appetite, loss of weight, after the age of forty. An X-ray study is indispensable in the diagnosis 20 of stomach cancer. The incidence is high in people who use excessive amounts of hot foods, such as heavy drinkers of hot tea or coffee and people who eat their foods very hot and spicy. (b) Colon. Cancer of the colon is a common form of malignancy. Bleeding from the bowel or a change in bowel habits is always a danger signal. No treatment for haemorrhoids should be under- taken until the doctor makes a thorough examination of the rectum and colon by proctoscope and X-ray. Many people have treated themselves with supposito- ries for supposed hxmorrhoids, only to be found later by their physician to have cancer of the rectum when examined by him. Increasing constipation, alternating constipation and diarrhcea with bloody mucous discharge from the rectum, are danger signals. They should receive thorough investigation. 3. Cancer of the Female Organs (a) Cancer of the Cervix. Cancer of the cervix is more common in women who married at a young age or who had children before the age of twenty. It is interesting to note that it is a rare disease in Jewish women. This is thought to be a result of the universal circumcision of the males among Jews. A daily bath may be as effective as circumcision in preventing cancer of the cervix. The danger signals are intermenstrual bleeding, prolonged menstrual bleeding, post menopausal men- struating, or watery or blood-tingued discharge. Any such symptom should be considered indicative of can- cer until examination proves that it is not. Every woman over thirty-five should have a regular physical examination and a part of this ex- amination should be a smear test of vaginal cells. A competent pathologist can often find cancer cells in a smear test where the cancer is so small it cannot be seen by the examining physician. (b) Cancer of the Uterus. Cancers of the uterus are the more common in the later years of life and in unmarried Women. The symptoms are very much the same as for cancer of the cervix—an unnatural bloody discharge or postmenopausal bleeding. (c) Cancer of the Breast Breast cancer does occur in the twenties or thirties, but is more com- monly found after forty. The most important symptom of cancer of the breast is a painless lump. Often women do not seek medical advice for a lump until it has been present for a number of months. Because they have no pain, they think it is not a cancer. Early cancer of the breast rarely causes pain. Every woman should examine her breasts once a HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 month, preferably lying on her back with a pillow under her shoulders, using her right hand to examine her left breast and her left hand to examine her right breast. The flat of the hand or fingers should be lightly pressed over the breast starting at the outer side and proceeding gently over the entire breast. If a lump is present, it will be noticed. Any lump should be examined by a physician at once. I repeat that—at once. If cancer of the breast is treated while it is confined to the breast, seventy or eighty per cent of patients can be cured. If they wait until it spreads to the lymph nodes in the armpit, the cure rate drops sharply. Bleeding from the nipple should be suspected as cancer, but it is commonly caused by a benign lesion rather than by cancer. 4. Cancer of the Lung The most common killer from cancer in men today is cancer of the lung. It has increased more rapidly than any other form of cancer, having risen 500 per cent in the past twenty-five years. It has been increasing rapidly in women since they started smok- ing. In the past seven years I have taken the smoking history of 314 men with cancers of the mouth, throat, and lungs (excluding lip cancer). Of this group, 311 were users of tobacco. In women, the incidence of cancer of the mouth, throat, and lungs is only about one-fifth that of men. In a group of women I studied, more_ than fifty per cent were tobacco users. The fact that they have not been smoking so long or so much as men, no doubt accounts for the much lower incidence in women. Cancer of the lung occurs in direct proportion to the number of cigarettes smoked. In people who smoke BELIEVE IT OR NOT but Dr. William H. Stewart, the Surgeon General of the United States and Chief of the Public Health Service, said that recent studies based on interviews in 42,000 households in the United States during the year that ended June 30, 1968 indicate that cigarette smoking caused- 300,000 extra heart attacks; 1,000,000 extra cases of bronchitis or em- physema; 2,000,000 extra cases of sinusitis; more than 1,000,000 extra cases of peptic ulcers; 3,000,000 mare man days of restricted activ- ity; and 9,000,000 more days spent ill in bed. At least 75 per cent of the potential sufferers could be saved if they simply gave up cigarettes. HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 a packet a day, the incidence of lung cancer increases markedly. Practically the only early symptom of lung can- cer is a cough. Smokers with a persistent or an in- creasing cough are in danger of having or developing lung cancer. Every smoker should have an X-ray examination of his lungs every three months if he is to find lung cancer early enough to be cured. Lung cancer can be cured only by radical surgery following an early diagnosis. Unfortunately, only about eight per cent of the people with lung cancer are alive and well at the end of five years, for relatively few are diagnosed in time for curative surgery. 5. Cancers of the Mouth and Throat Another type of cancer often found in smokers is cancer of the mouth, including the lip, tongue, gums, palate, floor of the mouth, throat, pharynx, and larynx. Cancer of the lung occurs at a much earlier age than cancer of the mouth, because the absorptive surface of the lungs is 700 times that of the mouth. Lung cancer 'is practically always a cigarette smoker's disease. Cancer of the mouth and thorat is more ccmmonly found in cigar and pipe smokers and in people who take snuff or chew tobacco. Any sore or ulcer in the mouth or gums should be considered a cancer if it does not heal within two weeks. Cancer of the lip can be caused by sunlight, but tobacco plays an important part in increasing the incidence. Cancer of the larynx, or voice box, is most commonly found in smokers. Of forty men I have seen with it, all were smokers. Practically the only early symptoms is hoarse- ness. Anyone with persistent hoarseness should be ex- amined by a throat specialist. 6. Cancers of the Urinary Tract Cancer of the bladder and prostate gland is a rather common form of cancer in men. It usually occurs in the older ag- group. Blood in the urine in both men and women is a dangerous symptom, and should always be thoroughly investigated by a urol- ogist to be sure that there is not a cancer somewhere in the urinary tract. Elderly men with urinary trou- bles should 'be investigated, for cancer of the prostate gland is a common condition after sixty. There are other less common forms of cancer that space permits only mentioning. They include sarcoma in bone, muscle, fat, fibrous tissue, blood- vessels, nerves, and lyrntthcid tissue. Leuchxrnia is a form of cancer that affects the blood. In children. To page 27 21 YOUR BODY'S GRAVEYARD by JACK EICHOLZ 29 R IDING in the speeding am- bulance beside her uncon- scious ten-year-old son, Mary Davis thanked God for the limb that had broken young Ravi's fall from the back-yard tree. At the hospital she paced the waiting room floor nervously while the doctor made his examination. When the doctor spoke to her his expression was serious. "Mrs. Davis," he said, "we must have your permission to operate im- mediately. We have to perform a splenectomy." "What does that mean?" "It means that the tree limb that broke your son's fall and saved his life also ruptured his spleen. We have to remove it." He spared her the details. A ruptured spleen usually causes severe bleeding into the abdominal cavity and also deep shock. With- out surgery, death from internal hxmorrhage can take place within a few hours. The nature of the organ, elastic and pulpy, eliminates the possibility of repair. A ruptured spleen must be removed. Fortunately for Ravi Davis and many more who undergo spleen re- moval each year, the mortality rate is small. Most patients suffer no ill effects, because the liver and parts of the bone marrow take over the function of the missing spleen. Located in the upper abdomen beneath the left ribs, the spleen is concerned with formation of white blood cells, iron metabolism, and blood storage. It also destroys old red and white blood cells and helps keep the blood stream free from bacteria and foreign matter. That is why the spleen is called the body's graveyard. Although rupture from injury and the possibility of hxmorrhage is a common reason for a splenec- tomy, enlargement of the organ is the most common condition that doctors encounter. Normally about five inches in length, the spleen may enlarge to the size of a foot- HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 THE SPLEEN � "MN =NH ban and put undue pressure on other organs. Enlargement can occur for a number of reasons. The condition usually accompanies such diseases as leuchamia, malaria, Hodgkin's disease, tuberculosis, and cirrhosis of the liver. Enlargement also oc- curs in other blood disorders in which a great number of white blood cells are in the circulation. Because these conditions are not improved or cured by spleen re- moval, the operation is not gener- ally employed by the surgeon. In diseases where the spleen is known to be the primary factor, surgery can result in a greatly im- proved condition and in some cases provides an immediate cure. Removal of Spleen Among the diseases for which a splenectomy is advised are: 1. Purpura caused by the ab- sence of blood platelets. Platelets are tiny organisms that seal capil- lary walls in minor skin injuries. Lack of platelets is manifested by small under-the-skin bleeding spots or bluish skin marks resembling bruises. The spleen is often in- volved in this condition when it is manufacturing platelet:destroying factors. 2. Haemolytic anaemia. In this disease the spleen may be involved in destroying red blood cells ex- cessively, which can result in anzemia. 3. Gaucher's disease and Nie- mann-Pick disease. In these dis- eases the spleen produces fatty material. Before a surgeon decides to re- move the spleen he makes every effort to determine whether it is actively involved in the disease or disturbance. He may perform a splenic puncture by inserting a needle into the abdominal wall to draw off a blood sample that can be subjected to microscopic ex- amination. He may employ various other laboratory tests to help establish the advisability of a splen- ectomy. If tests fail, to pinpoint the cause of enlargement the surgeon may decide to remove the spleen if he still suspects it is causing or aggra- vating a disease. Special Measure After administering a general or a high spinal anaesthetic, the sur- geon must tie off all blood vessels connected to the spleen. When he finishes this procedure he can re- move it from connecting organs-- the kidneys, the stomach, and the bowel. To ensure successful and per- manent results the surgeon must be alert to remove any small ac- cessory spleens that may have de- veloped. If these growths are not removed they will mature and de- velop the same trouble as the parent organ. In most cases the patient is al- lowed to leave his bed the day after the operation, and he may return home after the incision has healed, within ten to twelve days. During the postoperative period such special measures as intraven- ous injection, vitamin K supple- menting, or a special diet rich in iron are sometimes necessary. For several months after the operation the patient should have blood smears taken to help the physician determine the course of the primary disease. Organ of Interest The spleen has become an organ of interest to cancer researchers in recent years because of the belief that the spleen, rarely affected by cancer, may possess immunity factors. They theorize that if the blood from the spleen does carry such factors, the organ could be translocated so that the splenic blood would move into the general circulation before the potential im- munity could be destroyed on a normal course through the liver. Cancer could possibly be prevented or retarded in certain patients suspected of having cancer. The possibility that a normal spleen may soon become a life- saving factor in certain types of operations was demonstrated some years ago by two surgeons at Mount Sinai Hospital, Cleveland, U.S.A. When a patient undergoing surgery for cirrhosis of the liver began to bleed badly, the surgeons decided to translocate his spleen f.om the abdomen to the chest cavity. By routing the spleen's blood to the heart instead of al- lowing it to pursue its normal course through the liver, they re- lieved pressure on the liver's portal vein and reduced bleeding. � *** "Whatsoever a man soweth Self-discipline Intelligent selection of food Regular habits Moderation Temperance Exercise Rest ... That shall he also reap." Why not ensure a bountiful harvest of buoyant health by using highest quality seed? Information from experts available through A Free Health Correspondence course. Dept. H, Box 35, Poona 1, India HERALD OF HEALTH, .SEPTEMBER 1970 � 23 URINARY STONES by DR. R. W. BARNES to treat the patient expectantly. Because the stone was so small it probably would pass the short distance into the bladder without the necessity of any surgical or manipulative treatment. If it caused much pain again, and if the pain lasted more than a day, an attempt would be made to remove it by manipulation through the cystoscope, which is passed into the bladder. A tiny wire gasket is passed through the cystoscope and inserted up the ureter beyond the stone. The aim is to engage the stone with the basket and then extract it from the ureter. It is like fishing. Sometimes the stone cannot be caught. Then more waiting for it to pass may be necessary. If the symptoms are severe, its removal through an external incision may be in- dicated. DURING a recent safari through Africa, I visited the diamond mines. Three tonnes of diamonds have been removed from the Big Hole at Kimberley. The cost of removing these precious stones from deep down in the earth was many times less than their value in the world market. They were sold at a good profit and made the owners of the mine wealthy. There are other stones that are precious because they often cost the owner much in suffering, lost time, and medical expense. They are undesirable because after they have been removed they are worth nothing. They cannot be sold on the world market. These are stones that occur in the urinary tract of men, women, and sometimes children. The doctors call them urinary calculi. They may occur in the kidney, in the ureter (the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder), in the bladder, or in the urethra (outlet tube from the bladder). "Doctor, the pain I had this morning was the worst I have ever experienced," Mr. Pandit, a big strong outdoor Spartan-type man, told me one day. "I have had broken bones, have been thrown from a hcrse many times, have had my hand crushed under a wagon wheel, and stitches taken without anxsthetic. None of these injuries gave me any pain to speak of, but the pain in my side this morning was unbearable. I moved around and rolled on the floor to try to get away from it, but couldn't. I was nauseated, and vomited. I had to call my doctor to give me an in- jection for relieving the pain. Then it stopped, and I have had no pain since. I am all right now, but my doctor insisted that I come to you to find out whether I have a kidney stone." An examination, which included X-rays of the urinary tract before and after intravenous injection of radioplaque solution, showed a stone only about an eighth of inch in diameter in the lower end of the left ureter. I showed the X-rays to Mr. Pandit and pointed out the small white speck on the film. "How can such a small thing cause so much pain?" Mr. Pandit could not believe that so small a stone could give him the worst pain he had ever ex- perienced. The severe pain Mr. Pandit experienced was ow- ing to the stone's causing an obstruction in the ureter so that the urine could not flow around it. Pressure of urine backing up into the kidney is very painful. When the injection was given to Mr. Padit to relieve the pain, the ureter relaxed and allowed the urine to pass around the stone. Thus the pain was relieved even though the stone was still there. The X-ray showed that the stone was only about an inch above the bladder. It already had passed eleven inches down from the kidney, so it was decided 24 Silent Stones Stones that do not obstruct outflow from the kidney do not cause severe pain as did the ureteral calculus described above. In fact, some stones in the ubstance of the kidney may be painless. They are called silent stones. If an examination shows that such A stone is not damaging the kidney, no active treat- ment is indicated. The patient is advised to drink three quarts of water daily to help prevent the stone's be- coming larger. If he begins to have Any pain or other symptoms, reassessment of the kidney is necessary, to see whether there is any change in the stone or in the kidney. A stone may be in the kidney plevis, which is the interior cavity where urine collects before it passes down through the ureter to the bladder. In this posi- tion there is partial intermittent pain, which seldom is so severe as that caused by a stone blocking the ureter. Usually these stones are too large to pass down the ureter, and it is necessary to remove them through an incision in the side below the ribs. Stones in the urinary bladder must be distin- guished from stones in the gall-bladder. The former are in the reservoir for collection of urine before it is passed out through the urethra. The latter (gall- stones) are in the gall bladder, which is a reservoir HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 The diagram shows stones located in the pelvis of the kidney and in the ureters leading from the kidney. for collection of bile from the liver, which is in the upper right abdomen just under or below the last rib. Urinary bladder stones—doctors call them vesical calculi—occur much more frequently in men than in women. Bladder Stones In some of Wands of Indonesia, in northern India, and in Arabia, many boys from two to fifteen years old suffer from bladder stones. A diagnosis often can be made by only looking at the child. The foreskin is long and chronically irritated, because he is constantly pulling on the penis in an effort to relieve the pain, which is referred from the bladder, where the stone is situated, to the end of the penis, where he feels it. It is probable that these stones are caused by nutritional deficiencies and insufficient fluid intake. Diagnosis Most patients with bladder stones have symp- toms of pain usually referred to the end of the penis, of difficulty in passing the urine, and of frequent urgent urination. These symptoms bring him to the doctor before the stone becomes very large. An X-ray and a cystoscopic examination are done to make an accurate diagnosis. The presence of the stone must be confirmed and the cause determined, if possible. There HERALD OF nEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 may be an enlarged prostate or other obstruction to urinary outflow from the bladder, which requires treatment. Most bladder stones up to two inches in diam- eter can be crushed with an instrument (lithotrite) passed through the urethra, and the fragments are washed out through a tube. In this way the stone is removed without the necessity of an incision. How- ever, some doctors prefer to remove the stone through an incision. A stone in the urethra causes pain in the penis and frequent, difficult urination. It usually does not become formed or grow in this position, but passes into the urethra from the bladder and becomes lodged in the tube. These stones can be extracted by forceps or can be pushed back into the bladder and treated as bladder stones. Rarely, pain in the lower back may be caused by bladder stones or by urinary calculi. The kidneys, one on each side, are high in the back under the last ribs, and the pain from stones in the kidney or ureter is usually felt in the side and back just below the ribs. It extends downward to the lower abdomen and groin and sometimes into the testicle on the involved side. Kidney and ureteral stones often cause nausea and vomiting, and fever occurs when there is infec- tion. Stones in the lower end of the ureters, in the bladder, and in the urethra cause frequency and ur- gency of urination and often difficulty in voiding. There nearly always is blood in the urine of patients who have stones in the urinary tract. Sometimes there is enough blood to be seen by the patient, but more often it is found only by examination of the urine under the microscope. Prevention Adequate diet and sufficient drinking of water may in some cases prevent the formation of stones in the urinary tract. The reason for stones forming in some people and not in others is not fully understood. The best method known of preventing stones is to drink plenty of water—about two quarts in twenty- four hours. Treatment of urinary-tract infection, es- tablishment of free drainage of urine through the urinary tract, and an adequate balanced diet help to prevent stone formation. Patients who have stones in the urinary tract that are doing any damage usually have symptoms bad enough to take them to the doctor. However, some- times a person tries to ignore his symptoms and post- pones seeing his doctor until irreparable damage has been done to the kidney, ureter, or bladder. It is wise for a person who has any symptoms similar to those that have been mentioned to consult his physi- cian and have a thorough examination to make sure whether he has an undesirable "precious" stone. *** 25 by JAMES A. TOBEY, Dr. P.H. Vitamin D O NE of the mast distressing sights one can come across is a child with bow legs, protruding abdo- men, and distorted skull. Such a child is said to suffer from the bone disease known as rickets. Rickets, possibly from the old English word meaning "to twist:' is an ancient disease. If you study some of the infants in the paintings of artists of the Middle Ages, you can discern signs of rickets. For many years the cause of rickets was a mystery. But physicians and sociologists noted that this bone disease occurred most frequently among the children of slum dwellers, although by no means ex- clusively. From this fact it was deduced that rickets was caused by poverty, poor hygiene, dampness, and darkness. All of these evils were factors, but the last named was actually the most significant. From observation and experience, physicians in various parts of the world became aware that chil- dren who were exposed to plenty of sunlight were much less likely to get rickets than those deprived of the sun's rays. The disease has been rare in the tropics but widespread in the temperate zone. Folk medicine made a contribution to the con- trol of rickets. By trial and error it had been dis- covered that cod-liver oil was helpful in prevention and cure of this bone disease. The reason was not explained scientifically until the second decade of the twentieth century. Among other noteworthy advances in science, this was the era of the discovery of vita- mins. Between 1912 and 1916 brilliant by E. V. McCollum and Marguerite 26 University of Wisconsin, and by T. B. Osborne and L. B. Mendel at Yale, had shown that butter fat con- tained an accessory food substance necessary for proper growth and good health. This fat-soluable substance came to be known as vitamin A. Cod-liver oil was shown to be rich in vitamin A, which is stored in the liver of all animals, including the human. For a while it was thought that vitamin A was the factor that prevented rickets, but in 1919 the methods were devised to remove this vitamin from the oil. Despite this removal, cod-liver oil still pre- vented rickets, and so another factor was looked for. It proved to be another fat-soluble vitamin which was given the name vitamin D. There was already vitamin B, which cured beriberi, and vitamin C, which con- trolled scurvy. Vitamin D HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 The discovery of vitamin D was only part of the complete story of the conquest of rickets. Vitamin D acts to bring about deposit of the minerals calcium and phosphorus in the bones, which are made up mainly of these lime salts. The daily diet must provide them else the vitamin has nothing to work upon. The best food sources of calcium and phosphorus are milk, cheese, other dairy products, and green leafy vegetables. Milk, whole or skimmed, is an exceptional- ly good source of these minerals because they are investigations present in proper ratio for best utilization by the body. Davis at the That is one of the many reasons why pure milk is "our most nearly perfect food," a term I suggested back in 1928 and which has been widely used ever since. Because Mother Nature did not expect her chil- dren to cover their bodies with heavy clothes, live in dark houses, smother their communities with smoke and smog, and otherwise filter out the beneficial rays of the sun, she did not put vitamin D in our natural foods to any extent. Egg yolk contains a fair amount of the vitamin, and milk has a little in its fat, but most other foods are low or lacking in this essential nutrient. Even that best of all foods for infants, human breast milk, does not contain much vitamin D, although how much depends somewhat on the mother's diet. In the early 1930's in order to provide infants, growing children, expectant mothers, and nursing mothers with an ample supply of necessary vitamin D, scientists devised ways to add it to the universal food, milk. It can be added by feeding irradiated yeast to milk-producing cows, by directly irradiating the milk in a thin film, and by adding the vitamin in con- centrated form. Milk Source Much of our fluid market milk, practically all of our canned evaporated milk, and many of our packaged dried milks now contain 400 units of vita- min D to the quart or to the reconstituted quart. These 400 units represent the amount of vitamin D recom- mended by scientists for daily consumption by infants, growing children adolescents, and mothers. Probably adults who live normal lives, spending some time in the fresh air and sunlight, do not require vitamin D. A little extra may be desirable for night workers, shut-ins, and elderly people. A concentrate of vitamin D known as viosterol is obtained by irradiating a sterol (ergosterol), or fatty substance, in yeast and then dissolving it in oil. This actually is a medicine sold in bottles and admin- istered in drops according to directions of the fam- ily physician or paediatrician. Sunshine The action of sunlight on the human skin con- verts another sterol, cholesterol, into vitamin D. There are about twelve different sterols in nature that can be activated by ultraviolet rays. The three common types of vitamin D—D1, occurring naturally in fish-liver oils and some foods; D2, produced by irradiation of yeast; Ds, activated in the skin—are slightly different from one another, but have the same effect in the body. A word of caution regarding exposure to sun- light. Like other good things, it should be taken in strict moderation. It is wise to stay out of the high HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 noonday sun, when the rays are more direct than at any other time of day. Desirable sun bathing begins with only a few minutes' exposure, with gradual in- crease until the skin takes on a healthy tan that absorbs the ultraviolet rays without dangerous burn- ing. Can you get too much vitamin D? The answer is No, at least not from milk and other foods or from moderate exposure to sunlight. If a young child should get hold of a bottle of viosterol, and drink the entire contents at one time—some 40,000 units of vitamin D—trouble certainly would result. That is why this substance should be kept out of reach of all children. The teeth are part of the skeletal structure of man, and they benefit from adequate amounts of vitamin D plus the minerals calcium and phosphorus. Growing children• who take a quart of milk a day or its equivalent in other dairy products have the best chances for sound, beautiful teeth. � *** WHAT IS CANCER? From page 21 sarcoma is more commonly found than other forms of cancer.. The most sure method of determining the pres- ence of cancer is removal of a piece of tissue for microscopic study. X-ray examinations are used to diagnose internal cancer not accessible for tissue ex- amination. As to the treatment of cancer in general, a per- son should never seek the advice of a person who ad- vertises in newspapers or by testimonial booklets as a cancer specialist, nor should he permit anyone who has a secret remedy for cancer to treat him. Most large hospitals have cancer clinics where patients may be sent by their family physicians for consultation. Seek advice early. Surgery, X-ray, radium, and radio-active isotopes are the accepted forms of treatment, depending on the kind of cancer and its location in the body. Even in neglected or far-advanced cancer, the use of palliative therapy often prolongs the life and adds to the comfort of the patient. It includes radiation therapy such as X-ray, radium, isotopes; chemotherapy, including certain medicines such as nitrogen mustard; the use of hor- mones or the removal of glands that produce hor- mones such as the sex glands, the adrenals, and the pituitary gland. Make it a habit to go to your doctor for a physical examination at least once a year, and twice a year after forty. Do not wait for a lump or a per- sistent sore to become painful, for as a rule cancer does not cause pain until it is in the late stage. Fight cancer with knowledge. � 4HHI 27 I F you have been a little baffled by the word geriatrics, which we are seeing more and more these days—don't be. It merely means the new science of taking care of the ageing patient. A gerontologist is a specialist in the care of those fortunate people who enjoy the second forty years. The reason for this new science of medicine is that doctors are helping us live longer. Most of us would like to live to a ripe old age if we could still be active and alert and enjoy those years. Geriatric physicians say that the problem of living to a full life is more than a matter of picking the right parents. It is true that being cut from long-living timber is important, but matters of daily living also must be taken into ac- count. A person can't burn the candle at both ends and expect the candle to burn twice as long. It may burn twice as fast and twice as brightly, but it will burn out before the candle that is lighted at one end only. This is simply a way geriatric doctors have of say- ing, "Live it up, but live it slowly —make it last. Don't knock your- self out before you're forty if you want to live much beyond fifty." Not long ago, a friend of mine did a study of some octogenarians. He asked them about their habits of living—how much they ate, drank, smoked, slept, worked, re- laxed, played. He found that these people were still actively playing golf, fishing, enjoying social life and doing a lot of walking—even Geriatric Medicine by J. DEWITT Fox,M.D. though eighty years of grass had grown under their feet. When he completed the survey of his patients, he came up with one common denominator. It wasn't that they didn't do this or didn't do that. The way they did it told the difference. They played golf, but only nine holes. They ate good food, but lightly. They had club member- ship, but they didn't over-indulge in convivials or conversation to late hours. Whatever they did, it was in moderation. The keynote was moderation and temperance in all things. Few of my friend's oldsters were overweight. Obesity shortens life, as every insurance company will tell you. The longer the waistline the shorter the life line. They avoided heavy, fatty, sweet, and starchy foods. These foods favour hardening of the arteries, and are not conducive to long life. What- ever they ate in the way of deserts they ate in small amounts. By keep- ing their resistance high (some took outdoor exercise daily, others took early morning showers), they were able to escape severe infec- tions. Pneumonia, the danger of the older patient, can come from only a common cold, complicated by poor resistance or neglect at the outset. In handling the problems that may come with longevity, geriatric physicians have a few hints we all might do well to note as we grow older. Their tips come under two headings—"More" and "Less." MORE Get more rest, more warmth, more relaxation. Rest. Since we tire more easily, have less reserve as we grow older, an afternoon nap, ten hours' sleep at night, the moments of letting down in an easy chair, are not a luxury but a necessity. We may tell ourselves that we are as good as HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 we were at twenty, but the old time machine has been ticking all these years, and the fact is we just aren't as peppy—let's face it. Warmth. As we move up in years, circulation isn't as brisk as it used to be. Warmer clothing, shawls for the shoulders, perhaps long underwear in winter, warm shoes, and warm shelter are needed. Don't be bashful about putting on soft slippers and enjoying the easy- chair .with a good book, a bit of knitting, or the cat purring at your feet. You worked hard for many years, and this is the reward of diligence. Relaxation. Fishing, hiking, and floating aboard ship are all for the young in heart—no matter what their age. More time is available for relaxation (or should be) ; use it for what it is intended. Your body has less bounce, takes a little longer to snap back after exertion. You need to relax more. LESS Indulge in less worry, less food, and less work. Worry. Grandmas and grandpas should let the fathers and mothers do the worrying. They have come to the time in life when they can enjoy the grandchildren, without worry or responsibility. Worry wears down the nervous system, re- duces reserves, wears and withers, actually shortens life. Why do any- thing to take you away from your lovely family any sooner than necessary? Leave the circular thinking to the roulette players and the bicycle riders. Oldsters must conserve their mental powers for enjoyable and constructive think- ing. Food. The Chinese, who take extreme pride in their ancestors, also enjoy long life—without rich food. Chinese rarely die of harden- ing of the arteries, gall-bladder dis- ease, heart attacks. This is due to the fact that their diet has less fat. The problem of living to a full life is more than a matter of picking the right parents. A person can't burn the candle at both ends and expect to burn twice as long. Those who eat rich pastries, fatty meats, gravies and fried and greasy foods, rich in cholesterol favour hardening of the arteries and other life-shortening diseases. After middle life eat less, and you'll live longer. If overweight, re- duce to normal or even a couple of pounds under the normal weight for your age and height. Work. Less work should be ob- vious, yet how many men and In omen we see up in their sixties still working a longer day than is reasonable! We don't say stop work, only less work. Cut a twelve- hour day to eight hours, a full day to a half day. Keep your interest up, but take it easy. Let the junior members of your staff, office, factory, home, do some of the chores—you supervise or advise, Oldsters who wish to live long, full lives work less as they grow older in body and younger in spirit. There's the magic formula these geriatric physicians are prescrib- ing: For longevity, get more rest, more warmth, more relaxation, as you grow older. For a fuller life, worry less, eat less, work less. To this advice, we add: Keep active, keep alert, keep happy. May God bless all our readers with long and fruitful lives. � *** 29 ALCOHOL RUB by MARY CATHERINE NOBLE, R.N., R.P.T. i HE human body has an intri- cate set of checks and balances to maintain the best temperature for proper function. One of the most important of these regulating mechanisms is the skin. In giving heating measures to the body such as fomentations or the hot foot bath, we must choose some adequate cooling measure to follow the heat. An efficient yet easy way to cool the body, which can be done in most homes today, is to give a warm shower and end with a dash of cold. This can be done only if the patient is not too ill, has no fever, does not feel dizzy or faint upon getting out of bed. There are effective cooling measures that can be given in bed. The bed bath cools the skin as well as cleanses the body. The physician may recommend a cold mitten friction or an alcohol rub to finish the treatment. The alcohol rub may be used for cooling the skin if the patient has a high fever. Alcohol evapo- rates quickly, and the evaporation process removes heat from the body and reduces the temperature. It is desirable to reduce temp- erature and cool the body, but we do not want to chill the patient. Chilling of the skin causes constric- tion of the blood-vessels of the skin, and as a result the heat of the body is maintained instead of being decreased. The temperature may even rise as a result of chill- ing, so efficient are the body's checks and balances. When you give an alcohol rub the room should be warm and only one part of the body should be exposed at a time. When a patient is very ill, it is sometimes advisable to warm the alcohol be- fore using it. You can do so by setting the alcohol bottle in a basin of warm water. The evaporating effect is not lessened, and there is less danger of chilling the patient than when the alcohol is cold. Take special care when you are using alcohol, for wherever it is spilled on furniture a white area will form. It is almost impossible to remove such discolorations, but you can prevent them by having some kind of coaster to put the bottle on and by using care not to allow the alcohol to drip on the furniture. What You Need For giving an alcohol rub you will need a bottle of rubbing alco- hol, two Turkish towels, and a light blanket to keep the patient covered in order that he will not chill. The blanket helps keep dampness off the regular bedding. You will first remove the pa- tient's gown or pajamas, keeping him well covered with the blanket during the process. Begin by rubbing the arms, first one then the other. Because the taste of rubbing alcohol is un- pleasant, it is a kindness to omit rubbing the hands. The patient will be using them when eating and drinking. Uncover the arm on the side away from you and place a towel under it to avoid getting the bed damp. Taking the bottle in your right hand, pour a little alcohol into your cupped left hand. Set the bottle down and quickly spread the alcohol on both of your hands. Method Beginning at the patient's wrist with your hands cupped, one on each side of his arm, quickly make a long stroke upward to his shoulder. Return to the wrist with circular sweeps of your hands, both hands working together. Re- peat the long stroke upward and the circular downward stroking until the alcohol has evaporated. Finish with long, firm, yet light strokes toward the hand. Cover the 30 � HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 arm. Repeat the procedure on the arm near you. When you do the chest and ab- domen, protect the bed by placing towels along each side of the body where you are working. Apply the alcohol with both hands in a long stroke, beginning at the lower ab- domen and coming up between the breasts, out and over the shoulders. Return to the lower ab- domen by circular strokes, using both hands and working from the midline out over the entire area. Repeat once. Finish with long strokes from the shoulders to the lower abdomen. Cover the chest and abdomen with the blanket. Next do the legs. First, grasp the patient's blanket below his feet and bring it around and under the thigh, tucking it in well, so that he does not feel exposed while you are rubbing the leg. Place the towel under the leg and proceed in the same manner as for the arm. Do each leg separately, and cover each when finished. When you have finished the legs, you still have the back to rub. If possible, have the patient lie prone —face down. A pillow placed under the abdomen and one under the ankles will help him relax more fully. In this position, do not put a pillow under the head. Beginning at the buttocks, apply the alcohol with long strokes up to the neck, both hands working to- gether, and return with circular sweeps from the middle of the back to the outside, covering the sides well, returning to the midline with each sweep. Repeat once. Apply long, firm strokes to the entire back, and finish with eight to ten long, firm strokes to the spine, gradually getting lighter, until the last strokes are very light, for a sedative effect. You will not believe what a soothing effect this finish will have unless you have experienced the treatment yourself. Replace the patient's pajamas HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 or night-gown and make him com- fortable. Precautions Remember these important facts when giving an alcohol rub: 1. Do not chill the patient. Have the room warm and free from draughts. 2. Be careful in the use of al- c- hol to make sure that the furni- ture is not stained. 3. Rubbing alcohol is a poison if swallowed. Keep it well out of the reach of children. The alcohol rub may be given for the following reasons: 1. To reduce body temperature in fever. 2. As a cooling measure after fomentations or other applications of external heat. 3. For a sedative effect. � *** BLOOD IS THICKER From page 16 be affected. These hereditary in- fluences seem to be very important in many people. But this does not mean that you are doomed. There is much that you can do to help yourself, if you are prepared to take yourself in hand and live sen- sibly according to the laws of health. So much depends on a person's own common sense, pro- vided he knows how to live. These tiny arterioles are of tre- mendous importance to every one of us. They must at all cost be preserved, for they have important work to do. There is no question that they can be badly damaged by poor habits of living, and also by the dangerous toxins that so often find their way into the hu- man body. So, if your ancestors had high blood pressure, you must be all the more careful. For these tiny arterioles may hold the secret of your vitality, and mine. And when they fail we have reached the end. � *** SURGERY AND YOUR NOSE From page 5 nasal deformities by injecting a substance into the nose tissues. Years ago melted paraffin was used. The immediate result was good, but in time the paraffin flowed into the cheeks. Then the nose sagged, and eventually a tu- mour formed, leaving the nose in a worse condition than before sur- gery. In an accident the nose may be severely cut, and part of it may be hanging by only a thread. In giving first aid, be careful not to break this thread. If you rush the patient to a nasal surgeon im- mediately it is possible that the severed part can be sewed back and will live. The blood supply of the face is good, and healing takes place readily. Even if a part of the nose is severed from the face, save it for the surgeon in a mild salt- water solution. The surgeon will judge whether he can graft it back onto the nose. In some rare in- stances this is possible. The same principle is true for ear injuries. A new nose can be formed from the skin and tissue of the forehead, but this arrangement is never as successful as the natural nose. The forehead becomes scarred by the removal of the tissue. Most nose deformities that re- sult from injury can be avoided if prompt care is given to the nose at the time of injury. Every nose fl acture or injury should get prompt attention. If this were done, there would be few cases that require later reconstruction. Any blow or injury to the nose, even if it results only in nose-bleed, should have the attention of a competent nose surgeon so that he can prevent per- manent damage to the nose. Take care of your nose. It af- fects the appearance of your face to a large extent. � *** 31 The DoctorAdvises A SERVICE FOR OUR SUBSCRIBERS READERS REQUIRING PERSONAL ANSWERS MUST SEND STAMPED SELF-ADDRESSED ENVELOPES WITH THEIR QUESTIONS. Normal Development We have one child—a little girl soon to be eighteen months old. As a baby she was a fat little thing. Now she seems to be getting skinny, and I am worried for fear she is not in good health. Also, how can I tell if she is developing normally? During the second year of a child's life (between one and two years of age) the rate of growth is not as fast as during its first year. This applies both to increase in weight and increase in height. The average child gains only five inches in height between months twelve and twenty-four. His proportions change so that even though he still gains in weight from month to month, he appears more lean. The average girl of eighteen months weighs 241/2 pounds and is 32 inches tall, but there are quite wide variations from child to child. With regard to your little girl's fundamental health status, this must be evaluated personally by your doctor. However, here are a few hints by which you can judge whether your child is following the normal pattern of development. At eighteen months, the average infant can climb stairs, step at a time, while one hand is being held by some older person. At eighteen months he can not only put a pellet into a bottle on his own initiative but can recover it by turning the bottle upside down, He can place as many as three blocks one on top of another to make a tower. Although progress in the ability to talk varies a lot from child to child, the average infant of eighteen months has a vocabulary of ten words. Cross-eyed Boy Our boys, age nine, is cross-eyed. The school nurse urged us to go to an eye surgeon, and have his eye straightened. We have now consulted an eye sur- gon, and he tells us that even after the eyes are straightened the boy's vision will be no better than before. Why is this? Just as a person is either right-handed or left- handed, he is also either right-eyed or,left-eyed. We speak of the eye that is preferred as the dominant eye and of the other as the subordinate eye. The child who is cross-eyed can see something different with each eye. This could be very confusing; 32 so, to avoid seeing double, he soon learns to ignore what he sees with his subordinate eye and pays at- tention only to what he sees with his dominant eye. This becomes a firm habit. Even though his eyes are straightened by surgery so that they now point in the pame direction, he still tends to ignore the sight of his subordinate eye. For a child who is quite young (say less than seven years old), it is possible, after the eyes have been straightened, to break the habit of ignoring the vision of the subordinate eye. Then, with a little per- sistence and training, he can learn to fuse the vision of the two eyes into one mental image. With his two eyes looking at the same thing, the fused mental image provides a perception of depth. After about the age of seven, however, it is no longer possible for a person to develop the ability to fuse the vision of the two eyes into a single mental image. This is one of several functions of the brain which can be developed only in the early years of infancy or childhood. I advise that you have your boy's eyes straight- ened, even so. It will be worth it to him for cosmetic reasons if for no other. Rh • Incompatibility I am twenty-two and soon to be married. I am concerned because I know that I am Rh negative. I have heard that there is a treatment available now so that babies born to Rh negative mothers can be normal, even so. What do you advise? Not every baby born to an Rh negative mother develops "hmmolytic disease" and its attending com- plications. If it happens that the baby is also Rh negative, there is no risk, for the baby's blood and the mother's are compatible. Even when the baby is Rh positive, there is no problem when this is the first Rh positive baby born to this mother. The problems occur with subsequent pregnancies when the babies are Rh positive. The problem of hmmolytic disease, as it affects the unborn baby, is the result of the mother's tissues having built up antibodies which cause the destruc- tion of the baby's red blood cells. These antibodies, when they are present, leak through the delicate barrier which separates mother's blood from baby's HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 the soles of his feet, his toe-nails, his hose, or his shoes. Normal skin possesses the ability to shed disease- causing funguses and bacteria. These organisms are always present. It is impossible to sterilize our skin and clothing constantly. Two people may be examined for disease-causing bacteria on their skin. The same organisms may be found on both of them, yet one of them develops boils but the other does not. The same is true for fungous infections. One person is immune to the germs of funguses but the other is not. The one has a defence against infectious organisms. The skin of his feet is resistant to funguses. If we understand these facts we find it easy to know why athlete's foot keeps recurring. The doctor often successfully treats the flareup, but he cannot change the patient's lack of immunity or defence mechanism against the fungus. blood. They then destroy enough of the baby's red cells to cause serious complications and possible death. Until very recently, the treatment for the ham- olytic disease of such Rh positive babies has required the use of exchange transfusions of blood, using blood which does not contain the harmful antibodies. In severe cases, transfusions were even given to such babies before birth, within the uterus. Beginning about 1968, however, there has be- come available in many countries a method of pre- venting an Rh negative mother from developing the antibodies that endanger her child. An Rh negative mother's tissues do not build up these antibodies until after her first Rh positive child has been born. By giving the new mother an injection of a new protein preparation called "Rh immunoglobulin," her own tendency to produce the harmful antibodies is sup- pressed. This injection must be given within the first seventy-two hours after her child is born. Consult your doctor early whenever you become pregnant. This is even more important in your case than in the usual case, because you are Rh negative. Tell him you are Rh negative and then carefully fol- low his recommendations. Not Enough Insulin I have had diabetes for about three years. I attend a clinic regularly and receive daily insulin injections. For the past three months, however, the urine has reacted brick red or orange. I have elimin- ated starch, with no results evident in the urine tests. Please tell me why the urine remains highly coloured. You are not getting enough insulin to reduce the sugar in your blood. If you are strictly following your diabetic diet you need instruction from your doctor for increased insulin dosage. ATHLETE'S FOOT From page 2 further and say that just as harmful bacteria may be found on healthy skin so may the funguses that cause athlete's foot be found on the feet of normal people. In other words, often the organisms are present but are not producing disease. This fact is not surprising with all of us aware that some people are carriers of disease, harbouring harmful bacteria but not becom- ing sick. It is most likely that a person who has athlete's foot acquired the infection from some outside source; however, each time the condition recurs, the source of reinfection is most likely the person himself, from HERALD OW HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 What to Do? The problem of athlete's foot management is not hopeless, because there are a number of things the physician can do for the patient and some the patient can do for himself. Although it is impossible to steril- ize the shoes and hose, it is worth while to wear clean socks and a different pair of shoes every other day. The patient should try to keep his feet reasonably dry at all times by wearing clean dry socks and dry shoes. Foot powder dusted between the toes and on the feet will help. Funguses and bacteria do not grow well on a dry surface. If athlete's foot becomes acute, it may be neces- sary to consult a physician. There is no standard medical treatment for athlete's foot. Treatment will vary according to the infection. The doctor may prescribe a soap, lotion, cream, or ointment. He may prescribe a tablet or capsule to be taken by mouth that will inhibit the growth of the fungus. If the feet have become infected with a germ also, he may prescribe an antibiotic to be used on the feet. If the infection is severe, he gives antibiotics by mouth or injection. All treatment is directed toward elimination of the fungus and then toward raising resistance or im- munity. Many people are never cured, but the infection is controlled, and as they grow older they have less and less difficulty. Grandfather usually does not com- plain about athlete's foot, but his twenty-year-old grandson may have trouble. - The patient who understands some of the prob- lems will co-operate better with his doctor and take better care of his feet when he is not under the doc- tor's direct supervision. � * 33 ATTIC HIDE-OUT by ELLA RUTH ELKINS C OME on up, Govind," said big brother Ravi. "Here, I'll give you a hand." Ravi pulled his brother through the small trap door in the kitchen ceiling into the attic above. The boys replaced the door and looked around. This was just the place for a secret hide-out! All kinds of dis- carded radio parts, broken clocks, and anything else could be stowed up here, where mother would not be forever demanding that this sort of thing be thrown away. The boys would remove from their room all the "trash" mom insisted should go, and they would bring it up here instead of throwing it away—un- known to mom, of course! Mother was at work today as on many other days. On the days she was away, the boys had a great time in their secret attic hide-out. But before long, morn and dad discovered the hide-out, and father warned of the danger of the boys cracking the ceiling and advised them not to play up there. Mom was worried, too, and warned about black window spiders and other unknown dangers. The boys didn't say anything but continued to go into the attic hide-out when their parents were at work. The boys found a quick and easy way to come down whenever they heard the gate opened. Two main circuit wires bringing electricity into the house passed directly over the opening. Each was encased in a black rubbery material, just right to hold on to as the boys swung out over the opening and dropped to the kitchen floor. The days came and went. Each time the wires were used this way, the rubbery insulation became worn and weaker. Little chips of black material dropped off now and then. One day as the boys were tinkering with a home- made radio set, Ravi asked Govind to go back down and get something he had left in his room. Govind grabbed the wires as usual, and swung into space. He gave a bloodcurdling scream that froze his sisters in another room. Govind's face blanched white as he hung by the wires, unable to let go. He looked like a dead person. Hardly had the scream begun when Ravi jumped from his corner. He leaped through the air and hit the wire with a wooden pole. This jerked Govind's hands free of the bare wires. All was silence for a second. Govind was motion- less and could not talk. Ravi said, "Quick ! Call the doctor!" Sheela, the boys' older sister, ran to the tele- phone and quickly dialed Dr. Sinha's number. "Come quick!" Sheela cried. "I think Govind is electro- cuted !" In five minutes Dr. Sinha burst through the back door. He knelt over Govind, and Dr. Sinha made a quick examination. "He'll be all right. Just let him rest," he said. They carried Govind to the couch and waited for him to regain consciousness. His face was ghastly white. But as they sat and watched, they noticed his natural colour beginning to return. He still seemed dazed, so they put him to bed. The next morning when the family arose for the day, they were all glad to have Govind with them. The boys were especially sorry they had disregarded their parent's counsel about going into the attic. They never went there to play again. � *** 34 A PAGE FOR LITTLE PEOPLE HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 Controlling Haemophilia A high-potency, highly purified concentrate of antihmophilic factor, used to control bleeding episodes in victims of hmophilia, has been developed by the American Red Cross. The concentrate, prepared from blood plasma, is chemically stable and can be stored at refrigerator temperature for prolonged periods without loss of potency. Its high purity minimizes risk of side re- actions, the developers say. Haemophilia is a hereditary deficiency in the blood's ability to clot. —Today's Health Mortality Rates Favour Females The chances of dying from one of the "principal diseases" are substantially lower for women than for men at every age and period of years, report statisti- cians of Metropolitan Life Insurance Company (U.S.A.) Their list of major fatal illnesses includes arterio- sclerotic heart disease, vascular lesions of the central nervous system, other cardiovascular-renal diseases, malignant neoplasms, pneumonia, and influenza. Heart disease continues as the United States' number one killer, adds the American Heart Associa- tion. Only Finland ranks ahead of the United States in the percentage of fatal heart attacks among men. —Today's Health Four Kinds of Insomniacs Insomniacs fall into four categories, says Dr. Dale Friend of Boston, U.S.A. The largest group is the tension type, those people who have been under strain all day and are wound up too tightly at bed- time. They roll and toss for two or three hours before falling into a deep sleep. They have trouble awaken- ing in the morning. A second group is the fatigue type. They get progressively tired as the day goes on and can hardly HERALD OF HEALTH, SEPTEMBER 1970 keep their eyes open in the evening. They often fall asleep right after the evening meal. Then they wake up too early in the morning. This group includes many older persons. A third group is the "hurting" type. They are disturbed by the pain or discomfort of arthritis, hot flashes, night sweats. They fall asleep immediately on getting to bed, but awaken and fall asleep several times during the night. A fourth group consists of the "in-and-out in- somniacs." They swear they haven't slept for weeks. What actually happens, says Dr. Friend, is that they are rapidly going in and out of sleep, but connect the waking periods as a continual mental process. They are a highly neurotic group and under constant stress. Sedatives and tranquillizers help the first two groups, the physician says, but the real cause must be found in treating the third and fourth groups. —Science Digest Too Much Sugar Overconsumption of fat is the current popular villain in cases of coronary heart disease. One English scientist, however, claims that the true culprit may be excess sugar. Englishmen today consume more sugar in two weeks than they did in a whole year 200 years ago Yet they eat only one eighth more fat, according to Dr. John Yudkin of the Queen Elizabeth College of the University of London. In studies conducted over five years, Dr. Yudkin could find no difference among heart patients who did or did not consume a great deal of fat. Yet, an- other group of patients hospitalized after a first heart attack ate "very much more sugar" than patients with no heart trouble. Dr. Yudkin suggests that the key to coronary heart disease may lie with insulin, whose secretion is stimulated by sugar. Circulating insulin was found greatly increased in the diseased group of volunteers. Cigarettes, a factor in heart disease, also raised in- sulin levels. —Listen 35 Did You Ever Keep School? by D. A. Mrs. Jones conducted a nursery school in her home. The first morning of the nursery found Mrs. Jones facing a problem. Were the chil- dren going to run the kindergarten, or was she? Were these miniature men and women, with their undeveloped personalities, going to take over, or was Mrs. Jones? For a time the teacher had a battle on her hands. When Jothi's jaw would set in a pouty No, and Alice would settle down to a fit of tears; when Kumar just couldn't come out of himself because he was afraid of the strange new place; and when Malathi's shrill laughter nearly split her ears, and Jimmy's hot temper and arrogance tempted her time and again to lay hands on the child, she gained control over the youngsters only by her strong determina- tion to rule the combination of juvenile "dicta- tors" that had conspired against her. And it wasn't very long before every child in the nursery became conscious of the pres- ence of a will stronger and wiser than his own. Now, if you can imagine your emotions and your feelings as holding the same rela- DELAFIELD tionship to your will as those nursery children held to Mrs. Jones you will see that your will, or the power of volition, is the governing power in your nature, and that the power of choice is or should be the real boss in your life. Moodiness, poutiness, fear, exaltation, buoyancy, anger, and kindred states of mind and feelings may be subjected to the com- mands of your will. Most of our personality problems develop because we have failed to recognize the place of the human will in the control of our feelings. Perhaps you are among those who have been governed by the cruel emotion of fear, by an exaggerated temper, or by a sense of inferiority. Why let little Alice, Jothi, Kumar, Mala- thi, and Jimmy take over the kindergarten when your will (and that's you) is supposed to be in charge? Come now! Isn't it time for you to blow your school whistle, and put your emotions where they belong—each in its seat —and prove to yourself that you can keep school just like Mrs. Jones? Rergistered No. MH-40.